by David Anderson
This is the season of preparation. Advent. We hear the notes of hope and expectation, but we also hear the note of repentance. John the Baptist is the wild prophetic figure who storms our lovely party of positives (as in, “Let’s keep it upbeat and positive”), with his classic one-line sermon. “Repent and believe the […]
by David Anderson 7 Comments Filed Under: Change, Now/ the Present, Seeing, Surrender
In her wonderful book, Traveling Mercies, Anne Lamott relates a striking story. Carolyn Myss, the medical intuitive who writes and lectures about why people don’t heal, flew to Russia a few years ago to give some lectures. Everything that could go wrong did—flights were canceled or overbooked, connections missed, her reserved room at the hotel […]
by David Anderson 9 Comments Filed Under: Faith/Trust, Letting Go, Surrender
Sunday’s New York Times featured an article entitled, “Mother’s New Little Helper.” The subtitle, “What gets many women through stressful days? A little pill they take at night.” Cheryl Downs McCoy is a working mother who has a lot to manage: “I need to call that guy about fixing the car. I think I’ve run […]
by David Anderson 5 Comments Filed Under: Letting Go, Now/ the Present, Prayer/Meditation, Surrender
This morning they mowed the grass on the church lawn. I was surprised to hear the whirr and moan of the mower. Fall has come, the leaves are flaming and drifting. I half imagined that everyone had stowed their mowers and readied their rakes. Not yet. The sound of the mowers registered in my head, […]
by David Anderson 5 Comments Filed Under: Change, Nature/Creation, Now/ the Present, Surrender
“There’s only one thing worse than not getting what you want—getting it.” We’ve all seen it happen. The woman who angles for the top job, gets it, but the toll it takes wipes out her happiness. The man who leaves his wife and family for the “perfect” new woman, only to wake the next morning […]
by David Anderson 9 Comments Filed Under: Happiness, Surrender
Yesterday I stood in the center aisle of my church, a crucifer standing before me and two torch bearers flanking me on either side, and I read the Gospel story of the workers in the vineyard. A landowner hires a group of workers early in the morning and agrees to pay them the “usual daily […]
by David Anderson 5 Comments Filed Under: Faith/Trust, Grace, Surrender
Pam and I are hosting a party tonight—for about 80 people. Since our house will not hold 80 people (even standing up), Pam suggested we let people “spill out onto the deck.” A fine idea except that the deck chairs are appallingly hideous. We got them (garage sale) over twenty years ago and the chair […]
by David Anderson 13 Comments Filed Under: Happiness, Surrender